Posted on 01/20/2016 8:11:20 AM PST by Isara
Last night, Sarah Palin, Donald Trump’s “very special guest,” endorsed him at Iowa State University. Of course, a lot of people are shocked that she would endorse him over Ted Cruz. She’s the Tea Party darling after all, standing for conservative values from supporting gun rights to defunding Obamacare.
Cruz communications director Rick Tyler said earlier Tuesday that the campaign would be very disappointed if Palin supported Trump because she:
...has been a champion of the conservative cause and if she was going to endorse Donald Trump, sadly she would be endorsing someone who's held progressive views all their life on the sanctity of life, on marriage, on partial-birth abortion, he supported [the] TARP bailout — it goes on and on and on.
Palin responded with a tweet linking to an article written by her daughter in which Bristol Palin blasts the Cruz campaign for “slamming” her mom.
Cruz responded with a tweet of his own—this one much more conciliatory:
I love @SarahPalinUSA Without her support, I wouldn't be in the Senate. Regardless of what she does in 2016, I will always be a big fan. — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 19, 2016 |
But should Cruz and others be surprised that Palin would jump on the Trump train? Not if you’ve paid attention to what she’s been saying ever since Trump got into the race.
In August, the former Alaskan governor interviewed Trump on One America News Network, showing her enthusiasm and support for the firebrand candidate:
I’ve said since the day he made the sacrifice to hit the campaign trail, voters crave the anti-status-quo politicians,” she said. “They want results. They need a fighter. They need someone to fire all those political correct police.
'On Point' with Gov. Sarah Palin & Donald Trump (Video)
In another interview in August, this one on Fox News, Palin shows her support of Trump, saying his “common sense plans” are a “real shot in the arm to Constitutionalists and conservatives who want America to be put first by our leaders.”
Palin's take: The Trump phenomenon (Video)
Lastly, and more significantly in light of her endorsement of Trump last night, is an interview on CBN last month where she says of Trump (about 2:00 in): “I meet with him quite a bit. I’m so thankful that he’s running ... He calls it like he sees it, and to me that’s refreshing. He’s a fighter, he’s a competitor. We need a fighter for America, someone who will put our nation first.”
Bizarre New Sarah Palin Interview on Guns, Christianity, & Donald Trump (Video)
Palin’s enthusiasm for Trump mirrors many of his supporters from the Tea Party ranks. That zeal would be understandable if Trump were the only anti-establishment candidate in the race. But he’s not. There’s Cruz. He’s the true constitutional conservative, and it would make sense that Palin, who has always stood for conservative values, would support him.
That’s not the case. Palin’s endorsement for Trump over Cruz reveals her populist-over-principles roots. Trump represents authoritarian, nationalistic, Jacksonian populism that is not rooted in constitutional principles. It’s about the fight, taking power away from the establishment and defeating the real enemy—the politically correct Left that is hell-bent on fundamentally changing America—at all costs. Palin is choosing power over principles.
Why? It might be as simple as she has a personal relationship with Trump. She said in her December interview that she meets with him “quite a bit.” There isn’t any indication that she meets with Cruz very often if at all. If anything, Palin is loyal to whom she builds personal connections.
Her support of Trump might also be good old-fashioned horse trading. The king of “making the deal” might have offered something to the former Alaskan governor to garner her support—a vice presidential spot (don’t rule it out!) or a cabinet position? We don’t know, but it’s not implausible in the self-interested world of politics.
Ultimately, will Palin’s endorsement mean anything? Obviously, Cruz has gotten under Trump’s skin by edging closer in the polls. As Trump’s liberal record comes out and becomes public knowledge, conservative supporters are taking a second look at him. It makes sense that Trump would fight back with a ringing endorsement from a conservative. But will Palin’s populist-motivated endorsement work when strong conservative voices like Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh are doing more to expose Trump’s record than to throw their conservative creds behind him? It’s unlikely. Conservatives questioning their support of Trump in light of his record will be more likely to listen to conservative radio than Palin, especially since they have a choice with Cruz.
She will also do little to help Trump if Cruz’s push to prove that Trump really isn’t an anti-establishment populist is effective. A case can be made that populists don’t care if Trump is a conservative. Palin is proof of that. But what if he’s not even a populist? His recent language about making deals with the other side and everyone getting along in D.C. certainly reeks of establishment squishiness and not the unflinching determination to fight for America many populists are craving.
When supporters of Trump begin to realize that, not only is he not a conservative, but he’s not even a populist, they will jump ship. Conservatives will flock to Cruz. The populists will scatter, licking their wounds, either holding on to the Trump ideal to the bitter end or finally realizing Cruz is the fighter they wanted all along. Either way, their insurgency will be broken, and the conservative resurgency will truly begin.
TEA stands for Taxed Enough Already not for I am an ultra-religious person who will under no circumstances associate with a successfully business who knows how to work the system to get things done! Or who has beautiful wives and successful children too!
She turned her back on them.
So TEA no longer stands for her.
Some people have principles.
Others not so much, apparently.
I think horse trading is way off here as she could have about any job she wanted with either Trump, or Cruz.
I think Sarah screwed up.
My wife and I actually had a private conversation with Sara about 5 years ago. 40 minutes. She is a very smart woman. Very. She’s also very down to earth and personable.
This is the first position she’s taken, or thing she said publicly that I disagree with. She may know something I don’t.
Trump = Obama II
yes.
Still can’t express conservative principles I see! Oh well on to something else.
Source for that quote?
It's telling that the GOPe was terrified of Cruz (remember "Wackobirds"?) before Trump even raised his hand & they still think it's necessary to trash him. And, I wonder how the Trumpettes will feel about their holiday romance when Jeb or Marco get engineered into the nomination?
I see you still can’t verbally express conservative principles and pull out the same crap that so called conservatives pulled on Reagan when he ran. But I smile knowing that Reagan proved you all wrong and whooped you folks twice by getting “all” Americans behind him.
It is not possible that she wants America to be Great again huh?
What has Conservatism done to stop that man, even though we sent them majorities in both houses? Well?
Apparently conservatives are never as conservative as we think they are, else we would not have 40 or 50 million freshly minted democrats occupying our country.
All I’m saying if you want to throw around “Cruz is the devil” lines, be prepared to take heat back because Trump is no saint.
Is that why Republicans have taken over more state governorships, state houses of assembly, local governments, than ever under Obama and have more seats in the House of Representatives than at any time in over 60 years?
Lets face it, the Democrats have been decimated in the last 7 years.
Trump is no saint? That's the understatement of the year. Actually Trump is the devil incarnate. Pure evil. I honestly don't see anything good in the fella.
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